Rebel Wilson could have earned $6m after Pitch Perfect 2, court told

A Hollywood talent manager and film producer said Rebel Wilson, 37, could have earned up to $6 million with movie roles after the success of Pitch Perfect 2, but missed out due to defamatory magazine articles.

A report from Peter Principato was tabled in the Supreme Court of Victoria today, which said Wilson should have been offered more roles after the success of the film.

Mr Principato said he believed Wilson could have earned up to $6 million after Pitch Perfect 2 and box-office bonuses on top but could see "no other reason (other than defamatory magazine articles)" why she wasn't offered films.

Defence lawyer for Bauer Media Georgina Schoff QC said Mr Principato's opinion was "completely lacking in substance" and was made up of "mere speculation".

"In the end, all he does is speculate. He says 'I would've expected her to receive more roles, and she wasn't. I can't think of any other reason why'," Ms Schoff said.

"(Giving no other reason) does not assist. It would only assist if he had set out all the various relevant factors that might go into casting and if he had then considered them and why they did not apply."

Ms Schoff argued the report did not go into why Wilson might have been successful for particular roles in the years after the film, nor what films were available at the time the articles were published.

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She said there may have been other actors that were more suited to the role, or "various other factors" that contributed to why Wilson didn't receive film offers.

The court also heard Wilson was beaten to a role in the 2017 film Snatched by Amy Schumer.

Barrister for Wilson, Matthew Collins QC, said Mr Principato's expert opinion did not need to identify the gossip magazine articles as the sole reason behind her not receiving film offers, but rather that they had a "grapevine" effect and were a contributing factor.

He also said doubts over Mr Principato's expertise were irrelevant, given he has more than 20 years experience and has more than 50 clients in the film industry.

Wilson won the case against Bauer Media – the publisher of Woman’s Day, Australian Women’s Weekly, NW and OK magazine – after the jury found the publication defamed her in eight articles in May 2015 over claims she was a serial liar about her age, real name and childhood.

She received support from stars including Russell Crowe, Delta Goodrem and closer to home, Dave Hughes.